Finely Tuned and Precise

After writing about the latest in the long line of FCC blunders yesterday, I took a moment last night to see if the latest web page from the Federal Communications Complication was at all useful. It was stated to be a real time look at conditions for the DTV user.

I went to the site, and entered the only information that was asked for, which is my zip code. I live in Yucaipa, Ca., so that was 92399.

Now before I go further, I will have to say that I live about 70 miles almost due east of Los Angeles, and at an elevation of about 2600 feet. As I have spoken of before, I am capable of getting nearly all of the Los Angeles television stations’ fair amount of difficulty getting digital television at various times of day, due to the vagaries of signal propagation and the poor performance of the digital transmission system.

What was really strange is that when the map is brought up for 92399, none of the stations from Los Angeles appear, but instead, the FCC thinks that the stations I get come from a different direction, south, and San Diego. Now, San Diego is about 85 miles south of Yucaipa, and there are mountains in between here and there. Because of the elevation of Yucaipa, there are some people who, with a large antenna, an amplifier, and a rotor, the array can be aimed south and San Diego stations can sometimes be received. This is more dependent upon the weather than anything else, and in no way could consistent reception be had from San Diego. Considering the lowered power and other difficulties, I don’t think that DTV reception will ever be possible from San Diego, unless the limitations of antenna height are relaxed, and the sensitivity of the receiver increases.

KVMD     IND     23-1
Network: IND    [x]
Channel: (RF 23)
Receive Power: -41 dBm
Compass Direction to Tower: ENE (73)

This is the only station that is considered strong, and it doesn’t come in at all right now.

from Wikipedia

KVMD signed on in December 1, 1997 on analog channel 31. While its analog signal was rather weak and could not generally be received beyond Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley, it sought and obtained carriage on many cable television systems throughout Southern California, as well as satellite TV, due to its fortuitous location in the outskirts of the Los Angeles DMA and FCC must-carry rules.

On July 29, 2002, its digital signal went on the air on channel 23. This signal is much stronger, potentially reaching 80 times as many viewers over the air as its analog signal, and reaching most of the Inland Empire. It also reaches a good portion of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, but overlaps the signals of KTBN-TV Santa Ana/Los Angeles and XETV-TV Tijuana/San Diego, which also broadcast digitally on channel 23, thus making reception difficult in many of these areas. Although KTBN-TV has received permission from the FCC to change its digital broadcast channel from 23 to 33, other stations are considering a move to Channel 23 and KVMD is not entitled to interference protection in most of Los Angeles.

On June 1, 2003, KVMD became the first station in the country to shut off its analog channel and go digital-only, in support of the government-mandated digital transition.

••Moderate

None  (according to the map)

••Weak

KGTV     ABC     10 -1
Network: ABC    [x]
Channel: 10 (RF 10)
Receive Power: -79 dBm
Compass Direction to Tower: S (178)

KFMB     CBS     8 -1
Network: CBS    [x]
Channel: 8 (RF 8)
Receive Power: -79 dBm
Compass Direction to Tower: S (178)

••No Signal

KVCR     N/A     24 -1
Network: N/A    [x]
Channel: 24 (RF 26)
Receive Power: -89 dBm
Compass Direction to Tower: WSW (243)

KSWB     FOX     69 -1
Network: FOX    [x]
Channel: 69 (RF 19)
Receive Power: -98 dBm
Compass Direction to Tower: S (167)

KUSI     N/A     51 -1
Network: N/A    [x]
Channel: 51 (RF 18)
Receive Power: -99 dBm
Compass Direction to Tower: S (167)

These are the stations brought up by the FCC’s ‘help’. The only one that I get is KVCR, which is close and is a PBS affiliate, and its analog signal is very strong, yet it sometimes is problematic with the digital signal and the lack of signal power (I have verified that the power of the digital signal is about 1/3 that of the analog. I have also verified that it will remain that way, unless the FCC gets a clue.)

So the FCC lists several stations that it says I should be trying to receive yet the only station I do receive is basically close to impossible, according to the masters of the spectrum.

And not one mention of the Los Angeles stations I receive with little to no trouble at least some of the time.

Anyone faintly familiar with the elevation maps  of this area would surely know that KVMD is separated from Yucaipa (the 92399 zip code, remember?) by a large mountain range, so absolutely no reception is possible in Yucaipa. Anyone who could read a non-relief map could see that KVCR should be, and is, the very strongest signal I receive. And anyone who looked at those same maps should be able to see that it would be much easier to receive signals from Los Angeles than San Diego, not to mention the physics of the inverse-square relationship of distance from transmitter.

From this, only one conclusion is possible – we need a working, thoughtful, intelligent successor to the FCC.

§

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.Henry Ford

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